Youngina

Skull in side view

• Karoo (Western Cape, South Africa)

Youngina (syn. Acanthotoposaurus ) is a genus original diapsider reptiles that lived in the Wuchiapingium ( Upper Permian ) million years ago, about 259.9 to 254.2. Fossils have been found in South Africa. Only species described is Youngina capensis. Youngina was ( according to the new spelling Yang ) discovered by John Young, and named after him.

Features

From Youngina especially the skull is known, the Postkranialskelett is not well preserved. The skull is about 5 cm long, oblong and pointed, with large, located at the back of the head ends skull windows and relatively large eye sockets, as well as sharp, conical teeth. The skull resembles that of the Petrolacosaurus from the group of Araeoscelidia, but larger cranial window has thicker edges and a parietal ( parietal ), the lateral edges of which extend towards the abdomen and could have served as a starting point for some of the jaw muscles. As with Petrolacosaurus the quadrate is not emarginate behind. The stapes was massive and lay obliquely to the surface of the skull.

The neck was short. The limbs were long, the hand and foot skeleton is original, one of sternum and short spinous remember the circumstances at the Lepidosauromorpha ( lizards, snakes, and tuataras ). Youngina was lizard -like and probably a more agile, terrestrial insectivores. The length of the entire animal is estimated to be 35 to 40 cm.